Category Archives: Reviews

Tamiya Land Rover Defender 90 CC-02 video review


Landrover Defender 90 Fan? Now, there’s always one company you can turn to for fun RC build kits and that’s Tamiya. Their RC models are uniquely designed and are topped off with wild body designs all the way to scale replica shells. This is one of their fun scale crawler style models, the Defender 90 on top of the CC-02 chassis. This interestingly designed crawler is fun to build and is easy to get together thanks to Tamiya’s detailed instructions. The body will require painting and decaling just like any type of model. That’s all part of the fun in Tamiya kits! In this video we go over this rigs basic features and take it out for a trail run. Want something different to build, run and display on the shelf? Take a look at a Tamiya CC-02!
Source: RC Driver

Review of Tamiya 58702 Subaru BRZ ZD8 TT-02



Sometimes simple is better and when it comes to a fun on-road kit to build up, Tamiya is a great company to turn to. We managed to get an early release of the new Tamiya Subaru BRZ ZD8 TT-02 Kit. The TT-02 chassis itself is not new. It’s been around for a while and has proven to be a fun build model that performs really well for it’s simple design and suspension set-up. We actually recommend the TT-02 a lot for those looking for a kit to build. Luckily there are a number of body options for TT-02 kits and here’s one more with the BRZ body. This video is a quick look at this car and how much fun it is to drive stock out of the box.
Source: RCDriver_Online

Tamiya 58697 Astute 2022 TD2 Chassis review



A short while back, we showed you the new Tamiya TD4 Super Avante. This wild looking new off-road 4WD buggy really drew in the eyes of Tamiya fans and beyond. It’s sleek styling and inboard suspension not only looked good but performed well too. And those who really took a good look at the TD chassis design noticed that Tamiya might have had other plans for the chassis. Well, if you were one of those people, it’s true. Meet the new TD2! Based on the TD4, the TD2 is the 2WD variant and shares many of the parts with the 4WD version. The new buggy carries the Astute 2022 name and it maintains a sleek F1 like style to it. Want to get all the details on this buggy? You found the right video!
Source: RCDriver_Online

Spaceship or RC Car?! Tamiya Super Avante TD4 4WD review by RC Driver



Tamiya is known for bringing us unique chassis offerings. The RC Kits they offer are developed to give us a fun building experience, to gain our interest through unique designs and to deliver fun when we drive them. Many of the kits are simple, but Tamiya also steps up some of their designs too. They did this with the all new TD4 chassis. This kit still says Tamiya at its core, but it also has better quality components than their typical RC models. This new platform carries the name Super Avante after one of their popular buggies of the past. In this video we take a close look at this new 4wd electric off-road buggy and it’s interesting styling. We’ll of course take it out for a drive too and review it with a more critical eye than a standard Tamiya model kit. Yes, we understand Tamiya and what their models are about. If you are a Tamiya Fan, you know. This is one kit that Tamiya fans really need to see!
Source: RC Driver

The Hotshot 4WD makes a new appearance – In a comical way – Building the Tamiya 58685 Comical Hotshot GF-01CB

After we were so enthusiastic about the first Tamiya 4WD comical model, the “Comical Avante GF-01CB”, it was almost natural to take a closer look at the new “Comical Hotshot”. For us, the “Comical Avante” is one of the most beautiful models in the Comical series, along with the “Comical Grasshopper”. The original Hotshot, the first Tamiya 4WD buggy ever, is of course more than predestined as a template for the “Comical Series”. Especially due to the narrow and flat design of the original classic buggy. As with the Avante, we also customized and tuned the Hotshot a bit, according to our ideas. We stayed original with the body, as it is pre-painted red in the kit, as was previously the case with the Avante. But an unpainted body set is now available from Tamiya, and comes with No. 51657.With this, you can also create your own paint scheme.

Normally we use the excellent Tamiya GF-01 54670 dampers for these fun models. But they are blue anodized, and not really a good match. And in my opinion, the original red CVA dampers are optically not that perfect. That’s why I chose the virtually identical Tamiya 54541 CC-01 Hop Up damper set this time. The golden aluminum shock caps make them a perfect match for the bright red of the Hotshot. I´m still not totally happy with the colour of the standard wheels. But that´s complaining on a very high level. A gold plated wheel would be perfect here.

Unfortunately there is no driver figure included with the “Comical Hotshot” kit. Under the relatively narrow Hotshot body there is actually very little space for it. In a supplement, Tamiya explains how you can at least accommodate the head of the beautiful 54864 driver figure which was created by “pdc designworks”. With the help of a Lexan bracket. Of course we followed this suggestion, and with it there comes a lot more “life” into our little racer. Oh, and one more thing we left out on “Comical Avante”. LED lights on the front of the bumper and on the body. And of course also red taillights. Looks great, and so realistic.

Otherwise, we have relied on the tried and tested parts that we have already used in our „Comical Avante. A complete list can be found at the end of this report. As expected, the little red racer drives just wonderfully. And with a little practice, all kinds of stunts and tricks are no problem. There is hardly a Tamiya RC model that is more fun.
We are already looking forward to the next comical model. Our team would love to see a “Comical Subaru Brat”. Let´s go Tamiya. Make it happen!

This is a list of genuine Tamiya Hop Up parts, we´ve used on this car:
54924 GF-01 Ball Bearing Set
50808 TG10 Long Wheel Axle
53509 Hard Flourine Coated 0.6 Aluminum Pinion (20T/F201)
54541 CC-01 Aluminum Oil Damper 4PCS
53974 TRF 501 Front Spring Set
54588 GF-01 Aluminum Steering Arm
54586 Lightweight Gear Shaft 5x50mm For GF-01 WR-02 WT-01
51000 Servo Saver Hi Torque Type (Black)
54473 Aluminum Wheelie Roller Set for WR-02 WR-02G
54587 Aluminum Servo Stay WR-02/GF-01

Tamiya (Classic) Off Road Racing at its peak – The Top Force Evo. (2021)


When the Tamiya Top Force Evolution came onto the market in 1992, it was a practically unattainable model for me, as well as for many other young Tamiya fans, due to the high price.
At the time, my hard-saved money was just enough to buy a Tamiya Astute, which I really loved back then.

The “normal” Top Force was a good car, although it actually got by with relatively very common TA-01 technology. As a good driver with a well built “Top Force”, you definately had a chance, also in higher class races. But the “Top Force Evolution” went one better in all areas. Carbon plate chassis, Ball differentials front and rear, universal joint shafts for front and rear, steel cardan shaft, a full set of ball bearings, and last but not least the fantastic aluminum dampers, which are still absolutely competitive today.

Tamiya has the Top Force Evolution revised very carefully. The character of the car is still the same. The universal joint shafts were replaced by more modern CVD shafts. The shock towers, for example, are now also made of carbon. In the 90s these were still made of FRP. And I almost forgot one thing. The body and spoiler comes already cut out and pre-painted in Tamiya PS-23 “Gun Metal”, which is still the original colour code.

The Evo. comes with standard Tamiya ESC and 540 brushed motor. We have equipped our Top Force Evo. with a modern sensor-controlled brushless system, a low profile and fast digital steering servo, and an aluminum motor mount. The construction of the “new” Top Force Evo. was a real pleasure. Hardly any other car has given me more pleasure building it in recent years. It is the perfect car for the increasingly popular vintage racing. When fitting more modern 2.2 wheels and tires, the Evo. is ready for your local race track.

Some words about the look and design of the whole car. The „One Big Wing“ look of the Top Force is still a stunner, and you can call it a real milestone in Tamiya´s classic buggy designs. Wing and body are aerodynamically one piece. The whole car looks so sleek, flat and fast. Tamiya made no compromises here.

All in all, thank you Tamiya for this wonderful new re-release. We are looking forward to the release of the upcoming Super Avante TD4 and “Blockhead” Wild One Offroader. With the “Blockhead” Wild One, really a dream comes true. Also many thanks to Tamico and Dickie-Tamiya, for providing us with the Top Force Evo. Kit.